Work to build more social housing in Mansfield begins on site

Mansfield District Council appointed Mercer Building Solutions following a competitive tender process to undertake the construction of 77 high-quality and affordable homes off Centenary Road. The contractor is also delivering social housing, on behalf of the council, on the Bellamy estate.

The £18 million project has been conducted in three phases known widely as Poppy Fields. So far, on the site, a total of 84 new homes have been built and are occupied by council tenants.

In 2012, the council received £1.3 million from the government’s Care and Support Specialised Housing fund and 64 homes were developed as part of the first phase. The authority then received a further grant of £420,000 for Poppy Fields phase 2, which saw the delivery of a further 20 mixed-use properties, completed in 2016.

In August, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance, Cllr Craig Whitby, took the delegated decision to accept a further £2.7m from Homes England to build an additional 77 properties in the area.

Phase three works started on site in late November and are due to be completed in summer 2026.

Councillor Anne Callaghan, Portfolio Holder Housing, said: “We are really pleased that this flagship social housing scheme is now moving at pace.

"All the homes will be built to a higher specification than is currently required, to be in line with expected new housing standards, and to make them flexible living spaces that can adapt to tenants' changing needs over their lifetime.

"These homes will not only offer an excellent quality of life for the tenants who will live in them; the council's new procurement policy means the scheme will also provide work and supply chain opportunities for local people and businesses.

“I am looking forward to seeing a spade in the ground to start construction in the autumn.”

The development off Centenary Road (formerly Brownlow Road) is the third and final phase of this major council project to clear an area renowned for poor quality, low demand, empty housing, and anti-social behaviour.

The new 77 homes will be mixed residential, offered at affordable rent, and owned by Mansfield District Council. 47 of the properties have been designated for older people, a mix of apartments and bungalows, and 30 will be for general needs, a mix of apartments and houses.

The council's in-house architects have designed the new homes to align with government carbon reduction targets and the Future Homes Standard, which is expected to be adopted nationally by 2025. This approach to new social housing has been adopted for other council housing projects, including at Bellamy Estate and Fritchley Court in Oak Tree.

The standard requires new homes to have low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency. An average semi-detached house produces 75% to 80% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than one built to current building regulations.

Mercer Building Solutions is also working on the council's £7m regeneration scheme on the Bellamy estate, which recently saw work begin on the foundations for 22 new social homes.

Katy Mercer, Director of Mercer Building Solutions, added: “We are delighted to continue to work in partnership with Mansfield District Council. Due to their foresight, we are delivering high specification, energy efficient homes for the future, which far surpass current regulations.

“Similar to our scheme on the Bellamy Estate, we will continue to focus not only on the quality of the build, but also on social value. We will ensure the local community not only benefits from these new homes, but also benefits in terms of local employment, local spend and support of local community projects, during their construction.”

The scheme meets several of the council’s corporate priorities: our communities; supporting people to live independently in suitable, safe, and warm homes. Our district; to deliver affordable housing that meets current and future needs and our economy; to enable housing growth; and to lead regeneration and renewal to revive key sites.